Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24602890›Full record

SynthesisJournal of pediatric psychology2014

Systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological therapies for children with chronic pain.

Emma Fisher, Lauren Heathcote, Tonya M Palermo, Amanda C de C Williams, Jennifer Lau, Christopher Eccleston

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of pediatric psychology, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 103 papers, 13 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
103citing papers in PubMed, 13 pooled it
191.2field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

103 citing papers in PubMed, 13 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 758 citations in OpenAlex.

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  3. Efficacy of psychological interventions on sleep in children and adolescents with chronic pain: a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2025
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43 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Emma FisherCentre for Pain Research, University of Bath, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Department of Anaesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, and University College London Hospitals, and Psychology Department, Kings College London e.a.fisher@bath.ac.uk.
Lauren HeathcoteCentre for Pain Research, University of Bath, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Department of Anaesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, and University College London Hospitals, and Psychology Department, Kings College London.
Tonya M PalermoCentre for Pain Research, University of Bath, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Department of Anaesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, and University College London Hospitals, and Psychology Department, Kings College London.
Amanda C de C WilliamsCentre for Pain Research, University of Bath, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Department of Anaesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, and University College London Hospitals, and Psychology Department, Kings College London.
Jennifer LauCentre for Pain Research, University of Bath, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Department of Anaesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, and University College London Hospitals, and Psychology Department, Kings College London.
Christopher EcclestonCentre for Pain Research, University of Bath, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Department of Anaesthesiology & Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, and University College London Hospitals, and Psychology Department, Kings College London.
University College London · GB

Funding

Innovations in Pediatric Pain ResearchK24HD060068 · NICHD · SEATTLE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · PI PALERMO, TONYA M · 2009 to 2018
$1.6M
Department of Health 13/89/29NICHD NIH HHS K24 HD060068
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThis systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effects of psychological therapies for management of chronic pain in children.

methodsRandomized controlled trials of psychological interventions treating children (<18 years) with chronic pain conditions including headache, abdominal, musculoskeletal, or neuropathic pain were searched for. Pain symptoms, disability, depression, anxiety, and sleep outcomes were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed and quality of the evidence was rated using GRADE.

results35 included studies revealed that across all chronic pain conditions, psychological interventions reduced pain symptoms and disability posttreatment. Individual pain conditions were analyzed separately. Sleep outcomes were not reported in any trials. Optimal dose of treatment was explored. For headache pain, higher treatment dose led to greater reductions in pain. No effect of dosage was found for other chronic pain conditions.

conclusionsEvidence for psychological therapies treating chronic pain is promising. Recommendations for clinical practice and research are presented.

Indexed as

ChildChronic PainHumansPain ManagementPsychotherapyTreatment Outcomeadolescentschildrenchronic painpsychological interventions

Identifiers

PMID24602890
PMCPMC4148613
OpenAlexW2142456684

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.